TUM Children's Oasis - Carl Stahl Architektur

Applications
Fall protection, Railing, Window safety
Products
X-TEND
428 m², ◊ 30 mm, ø 1,5 mm
Architectural office
Kéré Architecture in collaboration with HK Architekten, Hermann Kaufmann + Partner ZT GmbH
Photography
Christian Theile / Romina Kutlesa, Johannes Simon
Place
Munich, Germany

Project details

The Children’s Oasis at the Technical University of Munich

The new Kinderoase on the campus of the Technical University of Munich (TUM) is a five-storey nursery offering space for 60 children across an area of around 1,540 m². Constructed almost entirely using timber, the new building incorporates an innovative, vertical spatial concept and is designed to meet the specific requirements of an inner-city location with limited land area.

The aim of the project is to provide high-quality childcare close to the campus, thereby helping to reconcile family life with academic work.

The functional layout of the individual levels creates age-appropriate areas for care, play and physical activity, whilst communal spaces encourage interaction and socialising. The project combines sustainable construction with a high quality of environment and demonstrates how sophisticated architecture, efficient use of space and child-centred design concepts can be brought together to create a forward-looking educational facility.

Functional layout across five levels

The five-storey building makes the most of the limited site area through a consistent vertical organisation of the various functional areas. The basis is a clearly structured timber frame system, which supports the functional layout of the storeys and defines the building’s structure. The ground floor houses the entrance areas as well as the infrastructure and administrative functions of the nursery. Above these are the childcare areas, organised by age group, each occupying its own floor and facilitating clear wayfinding.

The middle level plays a special role as a communal area that brings together various functions such as exercise, play and socialising. In addition, there are rooms available for meals and group activities. The top level is formed by the partially covered roof terrace, ‘Himmelswiese’, which, as a sheltered outdoor space with views over the university campus, creates a special place to relax.

A defining feature of the design is the playful way in which the building is accessed: the floors are connected by slides, making vertical movement through the building a key part of the usage concept. This access system is complemented by a central staircase structure, which acts as a unifying element, bringing all levels together.

Wood as a Defining Design Element

The fact that the building is almost entirely constructed using timber underlines its sustainable character. With the exception of the foundations and the southern emergency stairwell, the ‘Kinderoase’ was built entirely from timber. Right from the planning stage, the focus was on energy efficiency, thermal comfort, fire safety and acoustics. Thanks to the resource-efficient construction method, the project’s carbon footprint was significantly reduced. The new building thus combines sustainable construction with the high functional and structural requirements of a modern educational institution.

The design of the building envelope also makes distinctive use of timber. The black timber façade is complemented by vertical elements made of Corten steel, which lend the building a striking architectural identity whilst emphasising the playful character of the nursery. Inside, the wooden structure remains partially visible and, together with the acoustically effective surfaces, creates a warm and cosy atmosphere. The carefully coordinated choice of materials combines functional requirements such as sound insulation and fire safety with a high quality of stay.

In this way, the new building combines sustainable structure, high-quality materials, and child-friendly architecture to create a forward-looking educational facility.

Safe spaces for play and physical activity

Several areas of the building have been fitted with X-TEND® Stainless Steel Cable Meshes for the children’s play area. These delicate Mesh Systems meet the highest safety standards whilst blending harmoniously into the overall architectural design of the vertical timber structure.

A total of around 90 m² of X-TEND® 1.5/30 Stainless Steel Cable Mesh, installed in frames provided by the client, provides reliable fall protection at the window openings. This Mesh solution ensures the necessary protection without compromising the amount of natural light entering the building or the openness of the façade.

Another area of application is the partially covered roof terrace on the 5th floor, which serves as a sheltered outdoor space for the children to spend time and play. Around 180 m² of X-TEND® 1.5/30 Stainless Steel Cable Mesh was installed in a support frame to provide perimeter fall protection. This preserves the roof terrace’s appeal as a recreational space whilst ensuring a high level of safety.

X-TEND® Stainless Steel Cable Mesh was also used in the stairwell. Using around 158 m² of X-TEND® 1.5/30 Stainless Steel Cable Mesh, the stairwell was secured across several storeys. The delicate mesh structure blends discreetly into the open architecture and ensures a permanently safe fall protection system.

The X-TEND® Stainless Steel Cable Mesh

X-TEND® Stainless Steel Cable Mesh offers a solution that has been combining aesthetics and functionality in architecture for over 30 years. Whether for fall protection, facade greenery design applications— X-TEND® versatile, robust, and aesthetically pleasing.

The system is characterized by its three-dimensional adaptability, high load capacity a low weight, and the certified quality of its stainless steel. Thanks to custom designs, it can be flexibly integrated into any architectural setting and is also fully recyclable.

Numerous recognized certifications and credentials attest to verified safety, high quality, and sustainability. These include the proCA product passports (certified according to QNG, DGNB 2023, and the EU Taxonomy), the EPD (Environmental Product Declaration), the ETA European Technical Assessment), resistance class RC3, and the CE marking.
See the certifications